


Whatever it takes

by Luna_Arsenica



Category: IDOLiSH7 (Video Game)
Genre: Getting Together, M/M, Secret Santa 2020, lots of talk about feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:07:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28320624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luna_Arsenica/pseuds/Luna_Arsenica
Summary: While they're checking out a location, Gaku and Tenn get caught in a snow storm and have to take shelter in a cabin, all alone. In the meantime, Gaku corners Tenn into having a conversation he's been trying to avoid...
Relationships: Kujou Ten/Yaotome Gaku
Comments: 2
Kudos: 20





	Whatever it takes

The first snowflakes don't surprise Tenn in the slightest, not in the middle of the winter and the middle of the mountain. A light snow wouldn't stop him and Gaku any day, and much less today, when they're ready for the weather _and_ on a mission.

It's only the two of them today because Ryunosuke is working and their manager is with him, naturally, but since their job at this very same ski resort they're in now is getting closer and closer and they couldn't match their schedules to check it out together, Gaku and Tenn promised to take lots of pictures (and make lots of questions) for him.

They're almost done, walking for the sake of walking, by the time the snow starts piling up, and it's only then that Tenn realizes three terrible things: most of the people who were around them before is nowhere to be found; to make matters worse, it’s because they're not too close to the resort area either, and so looking for shelter becomes a priority over yelling at Gaku for dragging him away; because, of course, this can only be his fault.

Finding a place to take shelter turns out much easier than Tenn would have expected, and despite the wariness he feels to find that the cabin's door is open even though it’s empty, he quickly learns the phone works. A short glance through the window tells him the storm will get worse soon, bad enough to trap them in this shelter, so he has to be as effective as possible when he calls the resort.

He sees Gaku checking the place or pacing, he doesn't care either way, while he gives the people from the resort enough information about their location, and is reassured by them that as soon as the storm lets up they'll send someone to pick them up.

"Aren't you really calm for an unnerving situation" Gaku growls, looking at Tenn rather aggressively, visibly not amused. Tenn considers letting part of his discontent with Gaku go when he sees that, but it doesn’t make things better even if not _all_ of this is his fault after all.

"I already called for help, and the rescue team will come as soon as it’s possible. It hasn't been long since the storm started, we have a heating system and food here, and I don't think finding us will be difficult" Tenn is as nonchalant as possible, very matter-of-fact, his voice absolutely unbothered "There's nothing we can do but wait patiently. Getting nervous wouldn't help"

"That part of you is so annoying, you know..." Gaku shakes his head, even more annoyed at Tenn’s practical attitude, but sighs in an attempt to collect himself "But you're right. I guess I don't want to look uncool, so I'll calm down too"

"Don't worry about that. There's no one here to look cool for but me, Gaku"

Gaku doesn't reply to that, and instead sits down on the sofa in front of the unlit fireplace. He stares at Tenn for a second before speaking dreaded words.

"We could use this dead time to clear some things up, at least"

" _'Some things'_? Like what, exactly" Tenn speaks cautiously, keeping his cool in his voice but feeling himself get agitated. He has a feeling he knows what Gaku is talking about, but if it’s what he thinks he very much wants to avoid the subject - something he suspects Gaku won’t let him do, at least not without a fight.

"Like our relationship" Gaku is as direct as always, even when saying things no one should be able to say with a straight face "Like our feelings, what we're going to do about them from now on"

"I don't think that has changed since the last time we talked about it" Tenn does his best to avoid the subject, now almost completely sure that he knows what Gaku means, and even more horrified at the idea of dealing with it.

"Don't play fool. I mean that kiss last time" Gaku's eyes are firm on Tenn's as he speaks, not letting him go, his body tilting toward Tenn.

What Gaku is talking about is a kiss after their last live, of course, the culmination of their come-and-go flirting for years, in which Gaku finally gave in and kissed Tenn senseless. What Gaku is talking about is when he cornered Tenn against a wall in the backstage after that show, while Tenn was still smiling brightly from the ecstasy, adrenaline still coursing through his veins, his heart still beating fast. Gaku made it beat even faster when he trapped Tenn there, in between his body and a wall, and then before he knew it Gaku's lips were on his own, the rush of emotions making Tenn respond faster than he ever thought ~~not that he ever thought about kissing Gaku~~ , and their hands were everywhere when Gaku invited himself into Tenn's mouth, when Tenn's hands pulled Gaku closer, eager to correspond... that is, until they were both out of breathe and pulled away - then suddenly every part of Tenn's body jolted him out of there, as far from Gaku as possible, so that he could stop jamming Tenn's brain and making him do things he knew he'd regret.

Tenn was hoping not to talk about it today even if they were going to be all alone, since they were supposed to be in public anyway, so he was planning to keep it all work related. He laments his luck for a second as he takes a deep breath and exhales slowly.

"There's nothing to talk about" Tenn tries not to show any signs of agitation at the memory, and instead speaks firmly "That was just a mistake, in the heat of the moment, and it was your fault anyway"

"What?!" Gaku is predictably mad at Tenn’s words, and he stands up from his seat abruptly, but doesn't walk closer "I started, I'll admit that much, but it's unfair if you say that when you seemed pretty into it!"

Tenn glares back at Gaku, who at this point is pretty much fuming at how difficult he is being, but he still doesn't say a word. All he does is hold his gaze, both of them measuring each other’s determination and how to break it.

"It's always like this with you, like ice and sugar. You act all sweet and captivating one second and cold the next" Gaku runs a hand through his hair, barely looking away from Tenn if only for a second as he closes his eyes and sighs, frustrated.

"What's that, am I supposed to be ice cream?" Tenn’s voice comes out even harsher than he expected, but he doesn’t hold back for a second. He is pretty frustrated himself, cornered into a conversation he doesn't want to have, trying his hardest to change the subject at any chance and meeting Gaku’s insistence at every corner.

"See, you're always like this" Gaku walks closer, finally, but only to growl in Tenn's face "You never want to talk about important things"

"Why are you so desperate to know?" Tenn doesn't flinch at the threatening attitude, doesn't move an inch, and instead only keeps looking firmly into Gaku's eyes, as coldly as possible when he’s as irritated as he is now "It won't change things. We can't be together like that, but you won't accept it, which will lead to more fights and so on"

"Whatever we do comes after this. Right now, I only want to know about your feelings" Gaku stands straight again, but his gaze softens ever so slightly, more determined than angry now.

"What about you, then? What are your real feelings, Gaku?" Tenn tries not to let that minor shift in tone affect him, and instead speaks in a taunting voice, not sincere at all.

"I need you like the air I breathe. We may not see eye to eye on a lot of things, but no matter what, I will never regret loving you.” Gaku manages, somehow, to sound both sweet and irritated at the same time, as if just getting this through to Tenn could change his life forever. Tenn doesn’t want to believe in his words, but he knows Gaku isn’t the kind of man who speaks (or _feels_ ) lightly, a hand in his heart as he continues “I want you, and I will want you as long as I live. As long as my heart beats, it will be for you, because I'm looking for eternity with you."

"... Could you be any more embarrassing?" Tenn finally looks away, blushing, trying to sound irritated but clearly more bashful than that when his voice finally comes out.

Gaku doesn't reply to that - he just captures Tenn's lips roughly, a bit forceful, probably due to the stress of dealing with his avoidance and defensiveness, but he's visibly trying his best to be sweet. Tenn is paralyzed at first, the feeling of wanting to run away so strong it would overtake him if it wasn't because of Gaku's hand holding him by the waist, bringing their bodies closer.

Tenn can feel himself melting, already having a hard time hiding his shyness after that (so very like Gaku) confession, and not only does he let Gaku deepen the kiss, he also kisses him back, cupping his face in his hands, hoping that this tenderness is enough to convey his feelings so he doesn't have to find words for them.

If only for a moment, Tenn feels like it's impossible for him to stop his own passion from overflowing.

Then suddenly, Gaku pulls away, and Tenn has the slightest reflex to follow him, to kiss him again, but stops himself when Gaku speaks almost over his lips, his voice decisive.

"What are your true feelings, Tenn?" 

"... I guess I like you a bit, too" Tenn's voice is small when he finally answers, after a second of hesitance, more than a bit unwilling to just spit it out. He can feel the protective barriers he built around him for years crumbling, and he feels too exposed to look into Gaku’s eyes, sure that they’re looking at him intently.

Rather than that, Gaku rolls his eyes, but still accepts it as a confession. He holds both of Tenn's hands, and the way he looks into his eyes is very determined, completely serious, anticipating one of his ~~unnecessarily dramatic~~ romantic speeches.

"If it's for you, I'll fight whoever I have to fight. If it's us, we can make sure no one ever knows" Gaku never looks away from Tenn's eyes as he speaks, and even if Tenn wants to because this is too embarrassing ( _Gaku_ is too embarrassing), he can't do it either - he feels hypnotized by Gaku's eyes, by all the feelings reflected in them, by his firm and fearless voice "I'll go to hell and back for you, so don't say that we _can't_ be together"

"You know that my priority is TRIGGER" Tenn, despite feeling barely capable of speaking at all from the bashfulness, tries to do it as firmly as he can, as decisive as always, even if his voice comes only as a whisper when he finds it "And I don't mean this just because of our fans anymore. I mean TRIGGER is my place to belong, my dream, and I won't put it on danger"

"You know, it actually makes me happy to hear that'' Gaku's smile is approving and confident, instead, and he puffs his chest a bit, standing up and away from Tenn finally, finally letting him breathe a bit. But even then he's still dead serious when he explains "Of course I feel the same! I would never settle down for a secret relationship if I didn't. But I know it's for the best in this situation, since we both have the same priorities''

Tenn looks away for a second, taking a deep breath, nodding. He doesn't really know what to say - he's listening but still not fully convinced, still insecure of this. Gaku lets him be, but sounds even more determined when he speaks next, even if he isn't looking into Tenn's eyes or holding him or anything this time.

"I'm not saying this lightly. I thought about it a lot, I _have_ considered all the consequences. If I'm willing to take the risk, it's only because being with you is that important to me" Gaku speaks like he’s never been more sure of anything, and when he does that, Tenn really wants to resist the temptation to look at him, because a part of him knows he'll regret it - but he can't. Gaku is looking at him intensely again, like only he can. Not caring what his words will do to Tenn, he barely hesitates to pretty much throw his heart at him when he says "It's because I really am _that_ in love with you, Tenn''

"I never thought you'd go that far for me, considering you're always complaining about everything I say or do" deep down, Tenn is barely shocked, but instead pretends he is just so he can hide the real reason of that slight quaver in his voice behind feigned surprise.

"I say that, but when push comes to shove I know you're usually right" Gaku frowns and smacks Tenn’s head lightly, but his expression softens into a smile as he drags him closer into a half hug barely a second later "And you know I respect you, no matter what."

Tenn just stays there, in Gaku’s arms but not fully, not really knowing what to do. But he doesn't push Gaku away. He doesn't move closer either - he just stands there awkwardly, pretending his heart isn't beating the fastest he ever remembers it doing.

"You're not just someone precious that I want to protect - you're someone I trust. Someone I know I can rely on, and someone I admire." Gaku lifts Tenn's chin to force him to look into his eyes, and Tenn can feel his breath stop when Gaku explains "You're strong, and that captivates me more than that angelic face everyone adores"

"I... feel the same" Tenn can barely reply, gasping, but really tries to sound in control and as unfazed as possible "And that was embarrassing too, but I'd much rather hear that kind of things from you than sweet words of love"

Gaku scoffs a bit, rolls his eyes, puts his hands on his hips, completely expecting Tenn to be ~~a bitch~~ _like that_ about it as usual, and Tenn holds back a chuckle when he sees that reaction.

"I like your passionate side much better, after all" Tenn makes sure his smile is as confident and smug as possible when he looks at Gaku seductively, his body language relaxed even as his heartbeat is still going crazy.

Gaku is only slightly surprised for a second when he hears that, but he smiles boldly back at Tenn... right until Tenn kisses him. He isn't startled long, though, and he responds almost immediately, holding Tenn by the waist and bringing him closer to his body. Tenn gives himself in, enjoys the moment, paying no mind by now to anything else but the way their bodies fit perfectly, the way their tongues coordinate in their dance as well as they do on stage. Right now, he just wants to feel Gaku.

Right now he just wants to see just how much he loves him.

"So, do you wanna cuddle until the rescue team comes? It could help preserve warmth, since I don't see anything to make a fire here" Gaku proposes when they finally break the kiss, almost like there's nothing else to do. Like he's not very interested in it, despite the blissful aura around him.

"Hmm? You were being so sincere today, what happened?" Tenn teases him, finally feeling his little devil smile coming naturally to him again as he sees Gaku's shy body language "Why not be honest about wanting something so typical for couples as cuddling?"

"Wait, you don't mind doing something for couples?" Gaku blinks, surprised, and Tenn can't help a little giggle. Gaku just looks at him in shock, barely able to put words after the other, a little trembling in his voice "Does this mean you-?"

"After all that talk, isn't my reply obvious?" Tenn speaks nonchalantly, poker face back in place, and he shrugs. He doesn't even mention the kiss, which should make things much more obvious, but he knows Gaku knows he looks silly for not realizing.

"You're acting too calm in an unnerving situation again, you damn brat" Gaku clicks his tongue, annoyed, hands in his hips again "I can even feel my own heartbeat in my ears and you're so nonchalant, what the fuck"

"I told you, there's no one here to look cool for but me" Tenn looks at Gaku as calmly as possible, just having fun at the fact that he finds him being calm so annoying.

"And just who do you think I want to look cool for"

Tenn sticks his tongue out cutely, winking, and Gaku laughs under his breath as he walks towards the sofa and sits down, inviting Tenn to sit by his side.

As they cuddle, Tenn thinks that if it's them, then things like love words and being lovey dovey probably don't suit them, but this kind of relationship is fine. If it's them, this is how it's supposed to be: always on edge, always in between love and hate, but always, _always_ coming back to each other.


End file.
